The contributions of James (Jim) M. Schopf (1911–1978) to the development of upper Carboniferous and Permian paleobotany, palynology, and coal geology are among the most influential of the mid-twentieth century. Jim’s scientific endeavors reached far beyond this scope and extended from the Precambrian to the Pleistocene. His research papers provided many of the integrated benchmarks upon which his and subsequent generations have built. Jim Schopf was respected for his rigorous standards of scholarship and for his candor. He was also one of our most generous and helpful colleagues, and his wise counsel aided many. His graduate studies at the University...